Rail car end structure



Aug. 21, 1945. A. G. DEAN RAIL CAR END STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 25, 1945 Patented Aug. 21, 1945 UNITEDZSTATES PATENT OFFICE BAIL CAR END STRUCTURE Albert Gt Dean, Narberth, Pa., assignor to Edward G. Budd Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia, 2a., a corporation of Pennsylvania 'Application October 25, 1943, Serial No. 507,509

Claims.

The invention relates to railway, cars, and-particularly to the diaphragms and the supportin structures therefor together forming enclosures for the spacebetween the adjacent ends of coupled cars.

It is a principal object otthe invention to pro,- vicle a simplified arrangement for supporting the inside and outside diaphragms from the car ends.

This object is achieved in large part by extending the usual face plate surrounding a doorway opening in the car end wall and connected to the door frame on the car end wall by a usual inner diaphragm outwardly and upwardly substantially to the sides and roof of the car, and in supporting an outer peripheral frame member on the face plate so formed by resilient means, such as leaf springs, which normally maintain the outer diaphragm taut, but permit the necessary movement thereof through thleflexure of said springs.

A further feature resides in the fact that the springs are so arranged with respect to the face plate, as to maintain said peripheral member at all times behind the outer face plane. of the face plate, whereby, when two cars equipped with the invention are coupled, the outer peripheral members do not contact each other.

Another. feature of the novel arrangement is that it permits the use of the most rugged type of flexible diaphragm, suchas canvas, since the flexible spring support of the outer peripheral member makes it unnecessary to employ a stretchable diaphragm, such as one made of rubber or rubber-like material, which is less rugged and shorter-lived than non-stretchable or but slightly stretchable material, such as canvas .or the like. Other and further objects, and advantages and the manner in which they are attained will become apparent from the following detailed description.

when read in connection with the drawing forming a part hereof.

In the drawing,

Fig, 1 is a more or less diagrammatic view, partly in end elevation and partlyin section, of the diaphragm arrangement as applied to two coupled car ends, the view being taken substantially along the line |--l of Fig. 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 2 is a similar diagrammatic view of the two coupled car ends, partly in plan and partly in horizontal section, as indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. l and the arrows applied thereto.

Fig. 3 is. a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the relation of parts when the coupled cars are roundingacurve. f

In the drawing, the adjacent end walls of'two dicated at 12.

coupled cars are indicated at ID and II, respectively. Each is provided as usual with a central end doorway opening surrounded by a frame, in- Each also has a face plate indicated generally by I3, mounted on the end of the adjacent car for in and out and pivotal movement about the central vertical longitudina1 plane of the car. I

Any suitable means may be mployed for mounting the face plate I3 to enable it to have these movements with respect to the car end.

The means diagrammatically shown in the drawing comprise the upper and lower center stems It and I5 pivo-tally secured to the face plate, respectively at l6 and I! by a vertical hinged connection, these center stemsbeing supported and guided for in and out movement in the end of the adjacent car in a manner well understood in this art. i

It will be understood that the face plate and the center stems are normally urged to an outer limit position by suitable means including a buffer spring (not shown) associated with the lower center stemand upper and lower coil springs, designated respectively I8 and I9 located on opposite sides of the center stems, and bearing at their opposite ends, respectively on the car end wall and its associated face plate [3.

Each face plate i3 may comprise a generally rectangular frame .20 corresponding generally to the doorway opening and frame 12 surrounding it in the end wall of the adjacent car and,,to form an inner passageway between the coupled cars, the sides and top of the frame 20 of the face plate and the sides and top of the door frame E2 of the adjacent car end wall are joined by a usual flexible diaphragm, as 2|. 'The usual extensible walkway (not shown) is provided between the bottom member of frame 20 and the corresponding member of door frame I2.

The general structure so far described is usual and well known construction and has been included in this description because of its cooperative relation with the novel features new to be described.

In addition to the inner diaphragm 2|, it is desirable, in modern high speed streamline trains, to enclose the space between coupled car ends in their outer peripheries also, especially at the sides andtop, by an outer diaphragm structure.

v Such outer diaphragm structure is comprised of two similar flexible diaphragms, one for each coupled car end, as indicated at 22, 22 (Fig. 2), each secured at one margin, as at 23, to the outer'margin of the adjacent car end wall and along its other margin to an outer light frame member, as 24, conforming generally to the sides and roof of the car.

This outer frame member 24 is, according to the present invention, supported from the face in which it holds the diaphragm 22 taut by spring means, which serve at the same time as supporting means therefor.

The central rectangular frame 20 of the face plate is, according to the invention, extended outwardly at top and bottom by lateral extensions 25 and 26, respectively, these extensions terminating laterally adjacent the side walls of the adjacent car. Similarly, the side portions of the frame 20 are extended upwardly by extensions 21 terminating adjacent the roof of the car.

The extensions 25, 26 and 21 serve with the frame 20 as mounting means for the springs 28 supporting the outer peripheral member 24 and their outer ends provide stops limiting the outward movement of said member.

The springs 28 are preferably leaf springs, one

arranged on the inside face of each of the extensions 25, 26 and 21, and rigidly secured attheir inner ends to the face plate l3 and at their outer ends to the member 24. These leaf springs constantly urge said member to its outermost position, limited by the engagement of the springs with the inner faces of the ends of said extensions 25, 26 and 21 which form limit stops for this purpose. In this position the springs hold the outer diaphragm 22 taut.

In its outermost position with the springs engaging the stops, the outer frame member 24 has its outer face in slightly inwardly offset relation from the plane of the outer face of the associated face plate l3. As clearly appears in Figs. 2 and 3, this results in maintaining the outer frame members of two coupled cars in slightly spaced relation at all times, avoiding any rubbing action between them.

Preferably, to adapt it better to the rounding of curves, the outer peripheral member 24 is made in two parts hinged together at 29, in the central vertical longitudinal plane of the car.

The operation of the novel arrangement will be best understood by reference to the showing of Figs. 2 and 3. Ordinarily, when two cars equipped with the invention are coupled together, as shown in Fig. 2, the space between the peripheries of the adjacent car ends is substantially closed at sides and top by the taut outer diaphragms 22, held in this condition by the springs 28. The face plates I3 are at this time in face to face en agement and such engagement is maintained, when rounding curves, as shown in Fig. 3, by the action of the coil springs l8 and [9, or if additional buffer springs are provided, as is usual in connection with the center stems, by the combined action of springs I8 and I9 and such buffer springs.

When rouding a curve, the leaf springs 28 hold one part or side, i. e., the side on the inside of thecurve, of the outer frame member 24 in its outermost position against the stop extensions 25, 26 and 2'! on that side in substantially the same position as in the straight line operation shown in Fig. 2, but the outer diaphragm 22 on that side becomes slack due to the closed approach of the car ends, as shown at the right of Fig. 3. The part of the frame member 24 on the other side, i. e., the side on the outside of the curve, is swung about the hinged connection between the two parts, since the car ends separate, On that side,

ecoupled cars, opening a gap between the diaplate i3 and biased to its outer limit of movement phragms of the two cars and placing the leaf springs 28 on that side in greater tension.

The leaf spring 28 may be strong enough only to hold the diaphragm 22 taut, and can readily be overcome by the greater strength of the coil springs l8, [9, or if additional buffer springs are used, the combined strength of the coil springs and such additional buffer springs.

It will be seen, however, that at no time in the operation of the coupled cars, will the peripheral members 24 of the adjacent car ends engage each other, and this is highly desirable to avoid fouling each other, particularly in making a cross over from one track toanother, when the face plates of adjacent cars slide laterally on each other.

A non-stretchable flexible diaphragm mate rial, is preferably used for the diaphragms .22, since such material, as convas or the like, has longer life than stretchable diaphragms usually made of rubber or rubber-like material. The manner in which the diaphragm is supported and held taut admits of the use of this more durable inside the plane of the outer face of the face material.

When the cars are uncoupled, the face plates are moved outwardly some distance, from the position shown in Fig. 2 by the coil springs 18, I9, or if additional buffer springs are used, by the combined action of coil springs l8, l9 and these additional buffer springs, and in this outward movement the leaf springs 28 on (both sides are placed in tension in the manner indicated at the left of Fig. 3.

Since the peripheral member 24 is at all times plate I3 in engagement with the corresponding face of the face plate of an adjacent coupled car, a car equipped with the invention may be coupled to cars having the usual central face plate without danger of having the peripheral member 24 fouling'parts on the periphery of such usually equipped car in going around a curve or in making a cross over.

Whilea specific embodiment of the invention has been described in detail, it will be understood that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the main features of the invention and such changes and modifications are intended to be covered in the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

I. In combination, a rail car end wall, a diaphragm face plate supported in spaced relation from said end wall for in and out and pivotal movement substantially in the vertical central plane of the car, an outer peripheral member conforming to the sides and top of the car contour supported from said face plate solel by resilient means'biasing it normally to an outer position, and a flexible diaphragm bridging the space between said peripheral mem'ber and the outer margin of the car end wall;

2. A structure according to claim 1 in which the.

'face plate and the outer peripheral member.

4. In combination, a rail car end wall, a diaphragm face plate supported in spaced relation diaphragm bridging the space between the outer margin of the car end wall and said member.

5. In combination, a rail car end wall, a diaphragm face plate having vertical members flanking a doorway opening extending from top .to bottom of the car end wall and horizontal top and bottom members interconnecting the vertical l5 members and extended out laterally therebeyond substantially to the side walls of the car, said diaphragm face plate being supported in spaced relation from the car end wall for in and out and pivotal movement substantially in the vertical central plane of the car, leaf springs secured at v their inner ends to the back of said lateral extensions and supporting at their outer free ends a peripheral, member conforming to the contour of the sides and top of the car end, and a flexible diaphragm extending between said peripheral member and the outer periphery of the car end and normally held taut by the leaf springs.

ALBERT G. DEAN. 

